8

EITHER A HUMAN OR MAGIC BEAST

“Since all the raids are done, how about we celebrate with a staff dinner, boss?”

Jinho looked expectantly at Jinwoo.

“Staff dinner? It’s just us.”

The other squad members had been dismissed as soon as the last raid was over. Songyi had said she had somewhere else to be, so it was only Jinwoo and Jinho in the van.

Jinho bashfully admitted, “Since you’re always helping me out, I wanted to buy you dinner today.”

What a roundabout way of asking to grab a bite.

Jinwoo chuckled. He wasn’t going to say no, since Jinho was paying. “Sure.”

With that, Jinho’s expression lit up. “I know this nice hotel restaurant, boss! Their steaks are fantastic.”

“How about……”

Steak was great and all if it was a fancy dinner that he had no choice but to attend, but Jinwoo preferred eating somewhere he could relax. As luck would have it, he spotted such a place.

Tap.

Jinwoo pointed through the window. “How about that restaurant?”

“Oh, you want Korean beef?”

“No, the place next to it.”

Jinho squinted.

Next to that…was only one other restaurant.

PORK BELLY BLOSSOMS—SPECIALIZING IN THINLY SLICED PORK BELLY

“Are you talking about the pork belly spot, boss?”

“You don’t like Korean barbecue?”

The corners of Jinho’s mouth turned up. “I sure do, boss.”

They parked the van nearby and entered the eatery to find it packed and bustling with servers and customers. It was seven o’clock in the evening, the restaurant’s dinner rush.

“Hello.” A friendly server approached. “How many in your party?”

“Just us two.”

“This way, please.” The server tried to seat them at a table in a corner of the room, but Jinho had other ideas.

“Excuse me…” Jinho scanned the dining area and pointed at a table near the window. “Can we sit over there?”

“Sorry, that’s reserved, so…”

Several empty tables were pushed together, presumably because it was a reservation for a large group. Jinho looked at the empty tables and shook his head. Eventually, they sat down at a table in the far corner of the establishment.

Jinho bowed his head in shame. “I’m sorry, boss.”

“Why are you apologizing? I was the one who wanted to come here.”

“Still, I could’ve taken you somewhere nicer.”

Jinwoo smiled and patted Jinho on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, kid. Enjoy the food.”

Jinwoo was actually worried this wouldn’t be to the little master’s taste.

And I didn’t tell him, but……

Jinwoo took in his surroundings. There were people and more people. Since he spent most of his time at home in solitude, he didn’t mind the boisterous environment.

“Here are your three servings of pork belly and two bottles of soju.”

The food and drinks were served.

Sizzle…

The meat was soon cooking on the grill top. Slice by slice, it began to disappear. Fortunately, Jinho seemed to be enjoying it.

“My college friends and I go for Korean barbecue often, boss.”

“Oh yeah? College friends?”

“Yup. I get along better with classmates from my university than the ones from the private school I used to attend.”

Jinwoo smiled and nodded. That sounded about right.

“Let me pour another shot for you, boss.”

“One for you, too.”

Glug, glug.

They poured soju in each other’s shot glasses, toasted, and tossed them back.

“Mm.”

But unlike Jinho, who was enjoying the liquor, Jinwoo looked disheartened.

“Huh? Don’t you like it, boss?”

“No, that’s not it……”

Jinwoo stared at the empty glass wistfully. He had been forgetting something.

Ping!

Haah, I can’t get buzzed.

It was the same no matter how many shots he drank.

Ping, ping, ping!

As long as Jinwoo had the Health and Longevity buff, which blocked all toxic effects, soju was nothing more than bitter water.

The hunter cursed to himself.

Damn.

Since there was no point in drinking bitter water, he decided to order a soft drink. “Excuse me.”

A server came at once.

“Two more servings of pork belly and a soda, please.”

“Coming right up.”

Jinho looked curiously at Jinwoo after the server left. “Why didn’t you order more booze, boss?”

“I don’t do well with alcohol.”

Jinwoo was clearly nowhere near drunk when he answered, despite how many shots he’d already had, but that went over Jinho’s head, as per usual. In fact, he was already pretty tipsy and had a goofy grin on his face.

The boss is still human, after all……

Jinho stared intensely at Jinwoo, but Jinwoo just ignored him.

It’s not like he’s never acted this weird before.

Jinwoo did have something he was curious about. “What’s your plan for the future?”

Jinho sat up straight as if in the middle of a job interview. “Once I pass a simple written test at the association, I’ll get my guild master’s license right away. Then, I’m going to make a deal with my father.”

Jinho’s expression was earnest. He’d invested so much money in this endeavor that there was no turning back now.

Plus, I have a promise to keep.

Jinho had promised to hand the guild building over to Jinwoo. He could only do that if he became the guild master with Chairman Yoo’s approval.

In contrast, Jinwoo was completely lighthearted.

It’d be great to own a 30-billion-won building, but……

Well, that would just be icing on the cake for him. His true goal had been to level up. He had already climbed much higher level than he’d initially expected. Jinwoo had surpassed his previous goal. The result of his leveling up? He’d knocked out Chul, an A-rank hunter with a guaranteed annual salary of a few billion won, with a single punch.

Which means I should at least make more money than he did.

Money was guaranteed to follow him if he had power, so there was no need to be anxious. His more relaxed attitude showed on his face.

As Jinwoo recalled the last few days in his mind, Jinho probed him. “What are you going to do next, boss?”

“Me?”

Had he asked Jinwoo something he shouldn’t have? Jinho peeked at the hunter but relaxed after seeing Jinwoo’s chill expression.

“You won’t be able to reach me for a while. There’s somewhere I need to be.”

Jinho was taken aback. He looked like an abandoned puppy. He threw back another shot of soju.

Tak.

Jinho put the shot glass down on the table. After one more shot, he was finally able to speak from the heart. “Boss, please tell me if I’ve annoyed you. I’ll try my best not to do so ever again.”

This kid……

He’d taken it the wrong way when Jinwoo said he’d be unreachable for a while.

Jinwoo scratched the side of his head and asked a question in return. “Jinho.”

“Yes, boss?”

“What do you think of me?”

“Well……” Jinho’s eyes darted this way and that as he tried to think of a good answer.

“I have this brother who’s more than ten years older than I am, boss.”

Jinwoo had heard about him. Jinsung was the first-born son of Myunghan Yoo.

“My big brother doesn’t like me much, so I’ve probably spent more one-on-one time with you than him. You saved my life and helped me with my dream……”

Jinho looked Jinwoo squarely in the eye. “You’re more of a big brother to me than my own brother ever was.”

Jinwoo still scared him, but Jinho would always cherish the past few days tagging along with him. His admiration surpassed his fear.

“Since you think of me as your brother”—Jinwoo spoke with a smile—“then I’ll think of you as my brother as well.”

“B-b-boss……” The tip of Jinho’s nose was red, and he started sobbing. It would’ve been tolerable had that been the end of it, but then he went in for a hug. “Boss! Can I give you a hug?”

“Hey! You’re drunk, kid! Knock it off!”

“No, boss! I’ve never been more sober!”

“Can you even open your eyes right now?!”

“Uwaaaaaaah!” He was either really emotional or really drunk.

Jinwoo patted Jinho’s shoulder as he continued sobbing into the table. Soon, he went quiet and passed out.

“Haaaah…… What a weird kid.”

He leaned back in his chair.

Jinho Yoo. He was irritating in many ways, but Jinwoo was fond of him.

“Our next story…”

Jinwoo looked up at the news now playing on the restaurant’s TV.

It’s already nine o’clock?

He was mindlessly watching when a familiar face popped up.

Huh?

Jinwoo’s eyes widened. It was Yoonho Baek being questioned by reporters as he exited the guild building.

“Is it true there was a huge incident during the training session for new members?”

“Can you confirm that only high-rank hunters were killed and only low-rank hunters survived?”

“Rumor has it someone else was there, helping the survivors. Can you comment?”

Yoonho tried to ignore the reporters but eventually had no choice but to respond.

“The investigation by the association and the guild has wrapped up. There was an incident, but there was no other person. Members of the White Tiger Guild worked together to clear a high-rank dungeon. During that time, some hunters were either injured or killed. That’s all I have for you.”

A reporter pressed him. “Then why are the survivors being barred from speaking with the media?”

“They just endured a near-death experience. Must you bother them with your questions? No further comment.” Yoonho got into his car and drove away.

Jinwoo was stunned.

Aren’t they talking about me?

Not too long ago, on the East Coast of the United States…

A scream came from a dungeon. “Ahhhhhh!”

James collapsed onto the floor. His legs had given out, so he had to crawl across the floor only to realize he had backed himself against a wall.

“Shit!”

It was an A-rank dungeon. To close the A-rank gate, an appropriately elite team had been brought in, but all its members had been defeated—or to be more precise, knocked unconscious.

This can’t be happening!

James leaned against the wall, breathing hard and shaking his head over and over. He couldn’t believe it. When the raid team had first entered the dungeon, they hadn’t come across any magic beasts. Not a single one.

“A dungeon without magic beasts?”

“Is there such a thing?”

“So then where’s all the mana they detected outside the dungeon coming from?”

They’d all had different theories. As if this wasn’t incredible enough, something even more astounding had occurred in the boss’s lair. When they entered, they finally encountered a magic beast.

It looked just like a human, and this lone creature…had single-handedly knocked everyone out. It was that powerful. Only James had been able to escape from its lair. Barely.

Is all that mana coming from just that one magic beast?

The lair was quite far from the gate, yet the mana meter had still registered it as A rank.

James shook his head once more.

That’s not possible.

And then…

“Huh… Well, well.”

The magic beast stepped out of the shadows.

James screamed when he spotted it. “Gaaaahhh!”

“Geez, you’re loud.”

The magic beast…or no, the Asian man with long hair and a scraggly beard scratched the top of his head.

“Ah, ahhh…” James had devolved from screaming to moaning.

The man in front of him put his hands on his waist. “I mean, why did you guys have to go and attack me? I told you I was human, not a magic beast.”

Unfortunately, James didn’t understand the language the man was speaking. His face paled.

The Asian man looked exasperated by James, who still appeared terrified. “Guess I can’t get through to this white guy.”

Regardless, he tried again, attempting to sound kind while squatting at eye level with the white dude.

“Hey, hey.” He dug deep to remember what English he could, but with his limited knowledge, he had no way of knowing if his grammar was correct or not.

“I’m Korean.” He tried to pronounce each word as clearly as possible. “I…want…to go…home.”

It was an unprecedented discovery. A human found inside a dungeon! It was all hands on deck at the Hunter Command Center.

The assistant director went straight to the interrogation room himself upon hearing the news. From one side of a two-way mirror, he could see an Asian male in handcuffs sitting quietly in a chair.

“Is that him?”

“Yes, sir.”

“He looks like a regular civilian, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, sir.”

He did look that way. With a haircut and a trimmed beard, he looked like any ordinary middle-aged Asian man.

“Do we know his identity?”

“He’s insisting he’s a Korean hunter.”

“Korean?”

“Yes, sir.”

“How did a Korean hunter come out of a dungeon located on the other side of the planet?”

“He said the gate closed ten years ago, and he got trapped inside.”

“And when he opened his eyes, he was here?”

“Yes, that’s what he’s claiming.”

The assistant director put his hand on his forehead.

How was he going to explain this to the director? He felt a headache coming on.

“So what’re you guys doing here? Get inside there and pry more information out of him.”

This was the type of matter where he’d have to report not only to the director but also the higher-ups. This was no time to be standing around.

But the manager in charge of the interrogation had a different theory. “Sir, we’re also investigating the possibility that this may be a magic beast who simply possesses a human’s memories.”

“And?”

“If he reveals his true identity, all of Washington, DC, may be in danger, sir.”

What he said made sense. A strike squad with several A-rank hunters had been helpless against this man. They needed to carefully plan their next move.

“We need a high-rank hunter to help with the investigation.”

An S-rank one, if possible.

The manager nodded in agreement. “We have an S-rank hunter who can speak Korean in the vicinity.”

The assistant director’s face brightened. Given his position in the Hunter Command Center, he knew the list of S-rank hunters in the US like the back of his hand.

“Mr. Hwang! Is he on his way?”

“Yes, sir.”

Dongsoo Hwang was the main hunter of the Scavenger Guild. The Hunter Command Center had gone out of their way to get American citizenship for Dongsoo.

With him here……

There would be nothing to worry about even if something went wrong. The assistant director smiled in relief.

“Oh, right.”

He’d almost forgotten. If he was going to report this to the director, he at least needed to know the subject’s name.

“What was that guy’s name again?”

It was hard to pronounce, so the manager checked the report his men had submitted.

“He claims his name is Ilhwan Sung.”

Dongsoo showed no mercy, especially to magic beasts. He’d been raised by his brother because their parents had died from a dungeon break, so he’d considered it a blessing when he became an S-rank awakened being.

I’ve been given a chance to tear apart all magic beasts!

Dongsoo’s eyes were icy as he entered the interrogation room.

Here was the man who’d come from a dungeon. He seemed to possess the same magic power signature as a magic beast.

If he’s a magic beast pretending to be human……

He would cut the man’s throat right then and there. That was why Dongsoo had accepted the Hunter Command Center’s request.

He made eye contact with the suspect.

……

……

They exchanged gazes.

Dongsoo placed the file with all the man’s information on the table, pulled up a chair, and sat down. “You better cooperate. The decision whether you’re a human being or a magic beast is in my hands.”

“Understood.”

Before Dongsoo began the official interrogation, he had a personal question. His older brother had died in a dungeon. Was there a possibility of Dongsuk coming back to life? That’s what he wanted to know first.

“Can other hunters come back like you?”

The man shook his head.

Dongsoo’s brow twitched. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because I know why I was able to come back.”

“Well? Why’s that?”

“Let me ask you something, too.”

“……I’m asking the questions here.” Dongsoo’s eyes narrowed.

The man ignored him and continued. “How much do you know about gates, magic beasts, and dungeon breaks?”

“……” Dongsoo was going to force the guy’s mouth shut if he’d asked a lame question.

He couldn’t do that, though, because these were topics countless people had been trying in vain to explain ever since the first gate had spawned and the first awakened beings started appearing ten years ago. Maybe today was the day everything would finally be made clear.

“Assistant Director.”

“Shhh.”

The employees of the Hunter Command Center held their breath in anticipation on the other side of the two-way mirror.

Dongsoo prodded him. “So are you saying you have the answer?”

“Dungeons, gates, and magic beasts…… They’re merely precursors to the real war that’s coming. And the being that poses the biggest threat has recently opened its eyes.”

“And the reason you’re here?”

“To stop the threat.”

“What is this big threat?”

“……I can’t tell you that.”

Dongsoo couldn’t help but laugh. “The man who says he’s here to stop a threat can’t reveal what the threat is? Whatever it is, wouldn’t it be easier with some help rather than doing it alone?”

The man shook his head. “Greater numbers will be no help when facing this being. All you amateurs working together will either be eaten or enslaved.”

“So you’re saying you’re the only one who can stop it?”

The man nodded affirmatively.

Dongsoo wasn’t impressed.

He’s gone off the deep end.

It was understandable considering he’d been stuck in a dungeon for ten years. Either that or the magic beast had completely misunderstood how to pass for human.

Dongsoo decided to play along. “I guess you’re quite confident in your abilities.”

“Let’s just say my skills aren’t the only factor.”

“Well, if you say so.”

What kind of information could Dongsoo get out of this lunatic?

He stopped asking questions and instead opened the man’s case file to verify his identity as the Hunter Command Center had asked.

“Your name is Ilhwan Sung…”

He looked identical to the picture on file.

He doesn’t look like he’s aged ten years.

But Dongsoo didn’t care about that. High-rank hunters were said to be able to stave off aging.

“Your résumé as a hunter is quite extensive. You would’ve made a lot of money in today’s world.”

Ilhwan said nothing. There had been no organizations for hunters during his time. There hadn’t even been a ranking system for hunters.

Dongsoo kept reading the document. “Your spouse is Kyunghye Park, and you have two children. A son named……”

As Dongsoo read the children’s profiles, his eyes went wide for a moment.

Jinwoo Sung?

It was a very brief moment, though. He tried to keep cool and continued.

“…Jinwoo Sung. And your daughter’s name is?”

“Jinah Sung.”

“Okay, next.”

“Wait.”

Ilhwan stopped Dongsoo before he could turn to the next page. Dongsoo calmly looked up. Ilhwan’s eyes were now every bit as icy as Dongsoo’s.

“Why did I sense hostile energy when you mentioned my son?”

“……”

Dongsoo dropped the file back onto the table and turned off the mic broadcasting to the other side of the window.

“I said, I ask the questions.”

“I’d like to hear your answer.”

“What if I don’t answer?”

“Then I guess I’d have to force you to talk.”

The look in Ilhwan’s eyes grew more intense. He had no intention of backing down.

Dongsoo grinned like the Cheshire Cat. “I see. So you’re a magic beast.”

How dare a magic beast threaten a hunter? The hostility Dongsoo felt from him was palpable. That was more than enough evidence that this man was actually a monster.

No, wait. This might be another blessing in disguise.

Having reached this conclusion, Dongsoo turned the mic back on.

Beep.

“Assistant Director, this man is a magic beast. He’s about to launch his attack, so you need to evacuate.”

“What? W-w-wait!”

Beep.

On the other side of the two-way mirror, people freaked out and quickly vacated the room. A siren started blaring throughout the building.

Dongsoo’s hands began to shimmer with a silver light.

“I’m planning to visit Korea soon.” He smiled sinisterly at Ilhwan. “What should I tell your son your last words were?”

The TV news continued reporting on the red gate scandal. Jinwoo felt a little lost.

This is getting out of control.

Still, he wasn’t troubled, but it did feel strange. He found it odd that strangers who had nothing to do with the incident were trying to get word out about someone they didn’t know. And if people discovered his identity? Well, it didn’t matter anyway.

I’ve leveled up more than I ever planned to.

Initially, he’d wanted to hide his powers because he’d feared being used and taken advantage of. But now? He was able to slap away the hand of Yoonho Baek, the guild master of White Tiger and an S-rank hunter. That wasn’t something he could even imagine his past self doing.

I would’ve been shaking like a leaf just making eye contact with him.

There was a wistful smile on his face. It would’ve been nice to enjoy a drink while waxing nostalgic.

Ping!

It was too bad that wasn’t allowed. Jinwoo smiled sadly but then put down the shot glass and grew serious.

I have no intention of stopping here.

He called up the stat window.

Ping!

[Name: Jinwoo Sung]
[Class: Shadow Monarch]
[HP: 13,001]
[Fatigue: 0]

[Level: 61]
[Title: The One Who Overcame Adversity (and 1 more)]
[MP: 1,677]

[Stats]
Strength:	142
Stamina:	101
Agility:	121
Intelligence:	89
Perception:	103

(Available ability points: 10)

Physical damage reduced by: 46 percent

Level 61. And because he’d invested all the reward points from the daily quest into intelligence, it was getting close to a hundred.

I still have a long way to go, though…

He could go higher to achieve even greater heights, possibly to a level no one else could reach. The thought made Jinwoo’s heart race.

And it would all start with the Demon’s Castle.

The system said it was the item I wanted.

He recalled the time he’d acquired the blessed mystery box.

From that, he’d received the key to the Demon’s Castle. He knew from his earlier visit that it held both a high-rank monster and hot rewards. He didn’t know what to expect from the upper floors of the castle, of course, but it couldn’t be that different. Now it was time for the harvest.

Jinwoo decided to spend a few days there. He had only one worry.

Once I’m inside, no one can contact me……

What would he tell his sister? Jinwoo stood and figured he could come up with an excuse on the way home.

Tap, tap.

“Jinho.”

Tap, tap.

“Jinho Yoo.”

“Mm? Mmmmf…”

Jinwoo gently slapped and shook Jinho, but he was dead drunk. Now what?

He’s supposed to take a test at the association tomorrow……

Never mind the test, he had to get home safely first. He fished out Jinho’s phone.

“I can’t call his dad, Chairman Yoo, or his brother, Jinsung…”

Who could Jinwoo call to pick up the little man and keep him out of trouble? He came across a name.

Suhyun Yoo?

Unlike his father or brother, Jinho had exchanged a lot of texts with her. It was definitely a woman’s name…… Jinwoo thought about calling her but then put down the phone.

Wait.

He checked the shop just in case. He thought he’d seen… And there it was!

A bottle appeared on the table once the purchase was finalized. In contrast to the red healing potion or blue mana potion, this one was bright yellow.

Jinwoo made sure no one was looking before pulling Jinho’s head back and pouring the recovery potion into his mouth. After a moment…

Jinho’s eyes popped open. “Boss?”

“You awake now?”

His head was tilted back, and Jinwoo was staring down at him.

“What’re you doing there, boss?”

“……”

Jinwoo didn’t know how to explain the situation, so he decided it was best to pretend that nothing had happened.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, boss!” Jinho quickly rose to his feet but then cocked his head.

Huh? Why do I feel so refreshed?

Jinho stretched this way and that as he followed Jinwoo, feeling invigorated.

The news was still on in the background.

“In other news, the US government delayed the release of their official statement concerning the explosion at the Hunter Command Center…”

As soon as the sun was up, Jinwoo made his way to the Daesung Tower.

It’s as tall as I remember.

It was a hundred-story skyscraper, and looking up at it this close hurt Jinwoo’s neck.

But what’s with all the people?

Unlike the last time he’d been here, tons of people were coming and going from Daesung Tower. There was a big difference between the night and day crowds. Many people were walking the streets around the building.

Someone suddenly disappearing in a crowded place like this would definitely cause a commotion.

The media was already touting the mystery helper, so did he really need to draw attention to himself?

Of course not.

Jinwoo didn’t like being the center of attention to begin with anyway.

He found a less-crowded area and took the Demon’s Castle key out of the inventory. It was a long, tapered golden key that looked merely decorative at first glance.

Is there anyone around?

Jinwoo checked his surroundings.

Let’s enter through here.

He activated Stealth.

Hwoom.

Now invisible, Jinwoo hit the streets, weaving through people as he headed toward the building.

Bump.

Bump.

Jinwoo bumped several shoulders despite doing his best to navigate the crowded sidewalk, but no one noticed him.

Someone could really abuse Stealth if they wanted to, huh?

He concluded that had to be why high-rank hunters with Stealth were closely monitored. This random thought didn’t stay in his head for long.

Fwoooosh.

His surroundings completely transformed, just as they had when he’d first stepped across the invisible border.

I can already hear the sound of flames from over here, so how hot is it inside?

It was a flaming fortress. All Jinwoo could see was the Demon’s Castle where Daesung Tower once stood. Humans really were adaptive animals.

I’m not as nervous as I was the first time.

The Demon’s Castle definitely wasn’t as intimidating as it had been the first time Jinwoo saw it. Or maybe…

It might be because I’ve leveled up so much.

He put the Demon’s Castle’s key back in inventory and took out a gray key.

It was the castle door key Jinwoo had acquired after killing Cerberus, the gatekeeper. He hadn’t dared to enter the castle last time because Cerberus had been such a challenge. Finally, he felt ready to use it.

Hwoom.

Next, he called up a weapon. Jinwoo held the gray key in his left hand and Barca’s Dagger in his right as he walked cautiously toward the castle door. Cerberus was nowhere to be seen.

Maybe monsters don’t respawn inside the Demon’s Castle?

He couldn’t be certain, but there was a high possibility that, like Cerberus, once a monster was dead here, it couldn’t return.

Then……

That meant the structure of this dungeon might be different from the previous instance dungeons where monsters could respawn.

Jinwoo focused his perception stat.

Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump!

After increasing the perception stat to over one hundred, his own heartbeat sounded like thunder in his ears.

But it’s not fear.

Knowing how powerful he was now gave him confidence. Being tense and being scared were two different things.

Ping!

He received a message as he stood before the castle’s enormous gate.

Did you think I was going to turn back now?

Jinwoo chose Yes as he grinned from the absurd question.

Crrreak…

Even though he hadn’t laid a finger on them, the two huge doors opened on their own, hinges creaking loudly.

Thud!

Huh……?

Jinwoo was startled. Even though his perception was focused, he didn’t sense any monsters inside the doors.

No monsters?

And here Jinwoo was worried about the opposite happening. He’d even entertained the idea of returning to the penalty zone to do some special training killing centipedes in case too many enemies attacked him at once.

But……

What was this? He felt like he had wasted his time. The interior was bare.

Haah… Are you serious?

Jinwoo sent Barca’s Dagger back to his inventory and stepped inside the Demon’s Castle. As soon as he did…

Ping!

Jinwoo called up two daggers as fast as lightning, but it was just a notification chime.

Huh?

A quest has arrived?

Not the daily quest? Thinking back, the notification couldn’t have been for the daily quest, since he’d completed that earlier and had collected all the rewards before coming here. That meant it was a regular quest……

Well, first time for everything.

So far, I’ve only been given hidden or urgent quests.

That wasn’t counting the daily quest that he received every day whether he liked it or not. Jinwoo took a look at the message.

Read.

The quest details popped up.

Ping!

A twenty-point boost! That was the first thing that caught Jinwoo’s eye.

I can increase intelligence by twenty points!

He couldn’t contain his grin. He’d recently discovered the pain of not having enough mana.

I need a lot of mana so my shadow soldiers can respawn.

But it wasn’t just about mana. He’d also confirmed that the number of shadows he could extract and store went up as his intelligence increased. That was why he desperately needed to raise the intelligence stat.

I can only increase it so much with level-ups and daily quests……

If he could get twenty bonus ability points as a quest reward, all his problems would be solved at once.

Gulp.

On top of that…

Jinwoo looked at the line above.

He was already thankful for the bonus ability points, but he could also choose any item he wanted.

Can I really choose anything?

Jinwoo thought of all the expensive weapons in the shop.

I’m sure I saw……

There were S-rank items that cost between a few billion to 10 billion. That was 10 billion gold, not cash, which was the currency of the system. But the price didn’t concern him.

Knight Killer, one of the weapons he was using now, was worth the 3 million gold he’d paid.

If a B-rank item worth 3 million gold is this powerful and effective, what would an S-rank item costing tens of billions, or even hundreds of billions, be like?

His curiosity was piqued. Never mind the mystery reward. Just looking at those two payouts, he couldn’t afford to fail.

Killing one or two monsters for these kinds of rewards would be a cakewalk.

Jinwoo was excited to complete the quest quickly and claim his rewards but was shocked when he saw the quest clear requirement.

“Ten thousand?!” he shouted.

That was way beyond one or two monsters.

Isn’t this just hard labor?

No one in their right mind would attempt to defeat ten thousand of these monsters without knowing what they were up against, but Jinwoo smiled rather mischievously.

No one alone, that is……

Currently, he had fifty shadow soldiers. If each soldier killed a couple hundred, then he could meet the quota. If he pushed his soldiers, like he said, it would be a cakewalk.

Of course.

There was no reason to decline.

The penalty for failing would just be a waste of his time.

If I compare it to the other quests……

This was a dream compared with the job-change quest or the urgent quests where he’d had to risk his own life.

Jinwoo looked up.

Is that thing for keeping count?

A counter had appeared above him as soon as he accepted.

It’s a long road to ten thousand……

Until now, the goal had been an abstract concept in his head, but seeing the number, he could only laugh at how ridiculous the whole situation was. Another counter appeared in midair to his left.

Huh?

The number sixty thousand was displayed on a hologram. Once he hit that, he would level up.

I can see my experience point count from now on?

He’d never seen anything like this before entering the castle.

Let’s see……

Jinwoo took a step back and exited the Demon’s Castle. Both the soul and experience counters disappeared. When he went back in, they reappeared as if nothing had happened.

They’re only active inside the Demon’s Castle.

He was disappointed he couldn’t see his experience points outside the castle, but at least it would be very convenient while he was inside. There was, however, another way to look at it.

Does this mean this raid is going to take a while?

He’d assumed that was possible. Jinwoo carefully read over the quest details once more and then closed the stat window.

That’s enough of that.

Jinwoo was finally able to take a proper look around the interior of the Demon’s Castle.

What the……?

Jinwoo was floored.

Hwoooooooo…

Beyond the gate was a city in ruins. He’d unexpectedly entered an outdoor dungeon.

What’s this? Is this Seoul?

Is this what Seoul would look like if all the humans died and a hundred years passed? Within this gray, lifeless city, nothing moved except some flickering streetlights.

I didn’t expect an outdoor dungeon…

What’s more, it was a dungeon that resembled metropolitan Seoul. Other instance dungeons that had resembled real locations like a subway station or a department store paled in comparison to the sheer scale of this place.

Jinwoo turned toward the horizon.

Which way should I go?

What was his destination? Jinwoo surveyed the area. He didn’t have to debate for long.

In the distance, a large beam of light stretched toward the sky from the location where N Seoul Tower should’ve been.

Let’s go there.

Jinwoo began walking in that direction. He took note of where the door was, just in case he got lost. However, he was forced to stop rather quickly.

Kik-kik.

K-ki-kik.

One by one, small monsters sluggishly emerged from in between buildings.

Jinwoo was able to identify the creatures by the dark-red letters above their heads.

They look just like……

They looked like wingless gargoyles. There were eight demons in total.

Jinwoo’s mouth formed a sly grin.

That’s eight souls to start.

In a flash…

Shhhk!

Barca’s Dagger struck one of the creatures in the forehead.

Kree?

Krawk?

While the other demons focused on the one killed by a dagger, Jinwoo got closer to another and separated its head from its neck.

Shunk!

This one also gave Jinwoo one hundred experience points.

I need sixty thousand……

That meant he could level up if he killed six hundred of these low-rank demons. He quickly finished off those remaining.

Kreeeee!

Kak!

He’d collected eight souls and acquired eight hundred experience points.

Not bad.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and Jinwoo’s eyes flashed as he went on the hunt for his next prey.

In the president’s office of the White Tiger Guild, President Baek was reviewing some documents he had been neglecting due to being so busy the last few days.

Beeeep.

He picked up the phone receiver.

“Sir, Hunter Byunggu Min would like to speak with you.”

“Please connect me.”

“Yes, sir.”

Within moments, a familiar voice came over the phone.

“Baek, bro, why’d you turn off your cell?”

Yoonho took a deep breath. “Because of the reporters. I’m laying low until things quiet down.”

“Oh, the red gate! It was on the news here in Japan, too. You looked good on TV, you know?”

“Don’t mess with me. I’m not in the mood for jokes. If I find out whoever tipped off the media, I’m gonna…”

“Relax, dude. It’ll blow over soon. There’s bigger news.”

“Bigger news? In Japan?”

“Yup. Things have gotten more serious than we thought. It’ll eventually be on the news in Korea, too.”

“Why? What is it?”

A week ago, the hunter organization in Japan had secretly contacted the Hunter’s Association and all the major Korean guilds, saying they wanted to consult Korean hunters on a matter. Two days after that, several hunters representing Korea had traveled to Japan. Byunggu had been one of them.

Yoonho was curious about the details. “Stop beating around the bush and spit it out. This is the first damn time Japan’s ever asked us for advice. What’s all the fuss about? What’s up with those snooty assholes?”

“Dude…… You remember the ants from Jeju Island?”

An S-rank gate had spawned on Jeju Island four years ago. Ants had broken out of that dungeon. Three extermination operations had failed. Eventually, the Korean government had given up on Jeju Island, which was now overrun by magic beasts.

“How could I forget? I almost got killed there.”

“There might be mutants.”

“Mutants? Who cares? Let them fight one another.”

“The thing is……”

The voice over the phone sounded troubled.

“The carcass of an ant with wings was found off the coast of Japan.”